Justice Tijani Ringim of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered the interim forfeiture of the sum of Seven Hundred and Twenty-five Million, three hundred and forty-five thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety-Seven naira, a property situated at Plot J 37A 218 Close, 2nd Avenue, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State linked to Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.
The Judge gave the Order following a motion ex parte filed and argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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Moving the application, counsel to the EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari submitted that the money was reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an unlawful activity.
Buhari also argued that the property was reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of an unlawful activity.
The EFCC counsel further prayed for an order directing the EFCC to publish the interim Order in a national newspaper to enable anyone interested in the properties sought to be forfeited to appear before the court to show cause within 14 days on why the final order of forfeiture of the said properties should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Ringim, in granting the application held that he finds merit in the statutory application and grants same as prayed.
(Editor: Ena Agbanoma)
